They nodded in agreement as they were polled in unison, repeatedly answering "yes" in affirmation of their verdict to convict the once-powerful former mayor of Newark and his one-time mistress.

It was all that would be heard from the jury of six men and six women, who sealed the fate of Sharpe James and Tamika Riley Wednesday.

The jurors -- who included a postal worker from Ridgefield, a teacher from Saddle Brook, a data clerk from Newark and a computer programmer from Clifton -- remained anonymous as the high-profile trial finally came to an end. Escorted by U.S. marshals to their cars following the verdict, none would talk with reporters and some kept their heads down as they walked by.

But prosecutors said the jurors collectively spoke volumes.

"There were deep passions on either side of this case," U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said. "But what everyone should now recognize is that 12 ordinary citizens from New Jersey heard the evidence and independently found what we've said all along -- that Sharpe James is guilty of stealing from Newark and its citizens and of using Newark resources for his personal benefit."

Speculation had been mounting over the direction of the deliberations as the first five days passed without a verdict and jurors sent the judge three questions, asking at one point for a read-back of testimony and at another for clarification over the difference between evidence, testimony and the written law.

Christie, clearly elated after the verdict, said he is never comfortable when a jury is deliberating.

"There are 12 people in a room and you have no idea what they're talking about. You have no idea what they're thinking," he said during a news conference outside the federal courthouse, just a block from City Hall.

However, he called the polling of the jury after James and Riley were found guilty "one of the most powerful moments" he ever experienced in a courtroom, as all firmly answered "yes" to affirm their decision.

"That was not just that jury speaking," Christie said. "Those were the voices of the people of this city, saying yes...yes...yes...justice has finally been done."

State Attorney General Anne Milgram, whose office assisted in the federal probe, added there was no question that the jury gave a message, loud and clear, that "the people of Newark deserve fair and honest government. The people of Newark deserve better than what they got under the defendant, Sharpe James."

The jury was selected out of a pool of 247 people drawn from across northern New Jersey, culled in a four-day process. The fraud and conspiracy indictment included five charges against James, and 13 against Riley.

During five weeks of testimony, the jurors generally appeared attentive, although some seemed to struggle to stay awake at times -- particularly during tedious testimony relying heavily on documents. They were not permitted to take notes.

They were a tight-knit group. During their breaks in the jury room, they could often be heard laughing loudly. At least half of them were seen one day lunching together at the nearby Chateau of Spain restaurant. Those who arrived for court at the same time would sometimes walk together through the hallway.

During closing arguments, some seemed to zone out occasionally toward the end of the five-hour summations by Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Germano. One would bite his fingernails or inspect his cuticles.

They responded well to Riley's attorney, Gerald Krovatin, perking up during his summations and following his movements in the courtroom. By the middle of summations by James' lead attorney, Thomas Ashley, though, they appeared to get restless, often shifting in their seats.

The jury deliberated for about 30 hours over six days, when they sent out a note Wednesday shortly before 10 a.m. As they filed into the cherry wood courtroom on the fourth floor to deliver their verdict, none looked directly at the former mayor, sitting ramrod straight in his chair at the defense table, or at Riley.

One juror in a white polo shirt rocked continuously in his chair as the verdict was read. Another rested her chin on her palm. Others just sat quietly as the jury foreman called out their collective verdict.

In a clear voice, he answered one by one, to each count of fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion against James and Riley.